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Twins ace Pablo López likely to miss all of 2026 with injury in club’s latest blow

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The Minnesota Twins’ series of miserable events seemingly has no end.

Staff ace Pablo López suffered a “significant tearing to the UCL” of his right elbow, general manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters in Florida on Feb. 17. Should Lopez, as expected, opt for reconstructive surgery soon, he will miss the entire season and likely a portion of the 2027 campaign.

It’s yet another blow to a Twins club that underwent a massive teardown at the 2025 trade deadline, took the team off the market before taking on several more investors, and parted ways with longtime president of baseball operations Derek Falvey last month.

Pablo Lopez during a workout on Feb. 17.

What was left: A stripped-down roster featuring a pair of elite arms – López and fellow right-handed starter Joe Ryan. At the least, the club could entertain trade offers on them at the 2026 deadline and deepen the expected rebuild.

Instead, López won’t pitch at all – for the Twins or anybody – and the club will remain further in limbo.

López is entering the third year of a four-year, $73.5 million contract. He’s posted a 3.68 ERA in three seasons with the Twins, and in 2023 earned an All-Star berth and finished seventh in Cy Young Award voting.

Now, he faces a significant career hurdle.

“You keep going,” he told USA TODAY Sports in 2025. “If you do something, try to do it at your very best.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pablo Lopez injury update: Twins ace has torn UCL, likely out for 2026

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